Agriculture and food systems in sub-Saharan Africa in a 4°C+ world
In Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society A - mathematical, physical and engineering sciences:
This article addresses the impacts of a changing climate on agricultural production. It attempts to provide a realistic evaluation of the steps needed for proactive adaptation to the additional stresses that climate change will bring to food systems in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), including increasing frequency and severity of droughts and extreme weather events, sea-level rise, and other impacts, such as shifts in disease risks and the narrowing of livelihood options, which are likely to bring about large-scale population movements during the current century.
It outlines how the impacts of a changing climate in a world that warms by 4°C or more will diminish the options available for agricultural production and livelihoods in SSA. It discuss some of the potential for and constraints to adaptation in relation to crop varieties and species, livestock breeds, cropping patterns, changes in rural livelihood strategies and changes in food security interventions and policy.